Shannon Van Sant

Hurricane Dorian strengthened into a catastrophic Category 5 storm on Sunday, reaching the Bahamas as "the strongest hurricane in modern records" to ever hit the archipelago, according to the National Hurricane Center, based on its sustained winds of 185 mph.

President Trump is in Japan for the first official state visit since Japanese Emperor Naruhito assumed the throne.

The president and first lady Melania Trump have already dined with Japanese business leaders and will attend a sumo wrestling match, at which Trump will present the winner with a trophy called the "President's Cup."

Emperor Naruhito and his Harvard-educated wife, Empress Masako, will host an imperial state banquet for Trump. The president's trip will also include a visit to a naval base and bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Progressive Christian author Rachel Held Evans died this morning at the age of 37. She was known for her bestselling books and her progressive activism in the evangelical church. NPR Shannon Van Sant offers this report.